In this profile, we speak to Professor Linda Harrison, from the Macquarie School of Education, about her leading research in early childhood education.

1. What is your background and what brought you to Macquarie?

I joined Macquarie University in 2018 at a critical turning point. I had enjoyed a highly successful career as a Professor of Early Childhood Education and the inaugural Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Arts and Education at Charles Sturt University, but wanted to spend more time in Sydney to be closer to family. The opportunity to do similar work as a Professorial Research Fellow in early childhood charged with capacity-building at Macquarie was a ‘gift’ that I grasped with open arms!

2. How did you originally become interested in your area of research, and what keeps you interested in it?

While studying for my early childhood teaching qualification, I helped to set up an Occasional Care Centre that catered for children from birth to five years. The funding rules for this type of early childhood service only allowed children to attend three hours per week, and also catered for drop-in care. So I got to know and work with a large number of young children. I was fascinated by how each child settled in to the care environment and was interested to learn about and support each one’s preferences. The experience of each individual child is still the focus of my research and practice interests.

3. Tell us a bit about your current research and what makes it so important?

I lead the ‘Observe, Reflect, Improve Children’s Learning’ (ORICL) ARC Linkage Project which involves a team of researchers from Macquarie, Charles Sturt, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the University of New South Wales (UNSW), McMaster University in Canada and 11 partner organisations that provide and support early childhood services. Together, we collaborated to co-design and pilot the ORICL professional learning tool for educators who work with children aged from birth to two years in long day care centres and family day care homes, and are now undertaking a national study to evaluate its effectiveness in the field. Our expectation, from the pilot findings, is that ORICL will make a positive difference to educators’ awareness and understandings of very young children’s learning, development and wellbeing, and through that improve children’s experiences in their early childhood education and care settings.

4. Is there something you would like staff to know about?

The Centre for Research in Early Childhood Education (CRECE) was established in 2022 and in just a few short years has had a tremendous impact on national, state, and international developments in early childhood and related areas of research and policy. CRECE researchers work collaboratively with early childhood organisations at every step of their research in order to produce findings that are translational and transformative.

5. What do you need to do your best work?

Friends and colleagues I trust and can rely on.

6. What is something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you?

The Productivity Commission’s Draft Report, A path to universal early childhood education and care, which is going to make important and long-lasting improvements for Australian children, families, and educators who work in early childhood services.

7. What is your definition of success?

Doing what you love and doing it well.

8. A bit about where you live and what you like about it?

I live in two places. My permanent home is in Bathurst where I have lived most of my life since migrating to Australia and my main home is in Balmain where I am close to family and Macquarie. I love both places for different reasons, the big skies and sense of distance in the Central West of NSW, and the constant change that the city offers. I also appreciate getting around by ferry from Balmain and my highway drives through the mountains to Bathurst.

9. A personal quality you value in others

Openness.

10. A moment you felt proud?

Being with my daughter when she gave birth to her first child, and every day when I see her skill becoming a wonderful mother.


11. What would people be surprised to know about you or your work?

I drive a Subaru WRX turbo (just for the drives to Bathurst).

12. What is on your agenda for 2024?

ORICL and several other research projects that will make a positive difference for children and the early childhood workforce.